Lucky Number
by gleestud
Summary: Rachel is studying musical theatre at Steinhart and Finn is the drummer for a band. She's a huge fan and has attended every secret show they've ever had in New York City. But her 44th show is about to become the best one yet. AU Finchel, one shot.


_****__**Disclaimer:**__ Glee is the property of Ryan Murphy and FOX. I don't own the characters, but most of the storyline is mine and mine only._

* * *

Rachel Berry has always been a fan of music, but she's never really been interested in a lot beyond Broadway and the soulful voices of the legends. However, she's found one band that has defied all odds to make it onto her iPod. Static Lives weren't a famous band when her ex-boyfriend put one of their songs, 'Follow The Beat', on a mix CD he made for her. But one listen to the song and Rachel was in love. She wasn't sure what made her fall in love with it, but that was it. A non-Broadway song had never spoken to her the way 'Follow The Beat' had. And from that day on, she was addicted. Every time the band released a new single, she was downloading it and playing it on loop. Every time they stopped in New York for a surprise gig, she was doing whatever it took to make sure she was there. When the movie "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist" hit the cinemas, Rachel secretly wished she had found her 'Nick' to have fun with. But she was doing it all on her own. Her friends were shocked that she was spending nights out alone and that she was doing it all for something that wasn't even Broadway related.

She was too. But she knew why she was going out of her way. His name was Finn Hudson. And he was the drummer for Static Lives. And he was tall and handsome and the kind of guy any girl with a functioning brain and vagina would want to be with. But she was sure that a guy like him - famous and good looking - had at least one girlfriend in each city he visited. It didn't matter that Static Lives weren't a big band, they were big enough to garner fans of all ages and sizes. Especially when every member of the band looked as good as they did.

**_xxx_**

Rachel was working on a school production of _Evita_when the announcement about another Static Lives secret gig went up. She was the star of the show, answering her phone or checking for updates was a no-no. If she wanted to make it to Broadway after four years of musical theatre at Steinhart, then she needed to work her butt off. And that meant forgoing the knowledge of a show. When she did get a break, she found missed calls, texts and tweets from friends around the city informing her about the show. She had an hour to get back to her apartment, shower and start the search with the other fans. There was no way she was going to make it anywhere on time and if she was going to depend on her luck to get her there, she was making a mistake. But Rachel pulled it off, only because her best friend happened to be ten steps ahead of her.

When they first met, Santana and Rachel hated each other. They were too different as Santana put it many a time, "You're too diva for me to handle". But somehow, through all of it, they became friends. And not just the kind of friends who saw each other once in a while, but the BFF kinds. And if it weren't for Santana, Rachel was pretty sure that she wouldn't have been able to survive New York as well as she did. She would survived, but Santana made it that much better. When she finally got to the venue and found Santana, Rachel was panting and the effort she had put into her outfit was totally gone. "You're a hot mess. And not even the good kind."  
"Ugh, you're not being best friendly right now."  
"I'm standing here, holding your ticket, aren't I?"  
"True," Rachel brushed a hand through her hair and rummaged in her purse for perfume, "Thank you, by the way."  
"Pfft, you never have to thank me. I'm glad you're here because this is so totally not my scene."  
"You're not staying?"  
"And watch you drool over the T-Rex again? No thanks."  
"Stop calling him that, he just happens to be really tall. He's a really nice guy."  
"Just because you know his parents names and that he's from a small town like us doesn't make him a nice guy, it makes you obsessed."  
"So what if I'm obsessed?" Rachel sprayed herself, looking around to make sure nobody was watching her, "He's worth it."  
"You know _nothing_ about him. He could be a serial killer for all we know, using the band as a front for his night time activities."  
"Have you been watching Dexter again?"  
"There's something therapeutic about that man. I think I understand why he does what he does."  
"At times like these, I ask myself how we're best friends."  
"You love me and if it wasn't for Droopy over there, you'd totally be dating me."  
"Are you sure you don't want to stay?"  
"I've got a hot date with a bendy blonde and I'm not trading that to watch you chicken out again."  
Rachel pouted and looked around at all the other people waiting for the show to start. Santana was right, she needed to do something. She'd been to 43 shows already and every single time she got close enough to Finn to touch him or say something, but she always just shied away and left without so much as a "I'm a huge fan". Tonight had to be different. 44 would be her lucky number. Taking a deep breath, she gave Santana a flirty grin and shrugged, "You have fun on your date and don't wait up for me."  
"Just hit 2 on your speed dial when it's over."  
"I'm serious, Santana! Tonight is the night."  
"I've known you for six years, tonight is not going to be any different from the other nights you've been here."  
"Trust me. Have fun with your bendy blonde and I'll see you in the morning."  
"Make me proud," Rachel nodded and gave her best friend the most convincing smile. Once Santana was gone, the smile faded and was replaced by a nervous habit of biting her lip.

The show was amazing, as always, and Rachel couldn't get over just how good the band got every single time she saw them live. Of course, her attention had been fixed on Finn the whole time, but she had listened to them perform and every inch of her was still tingling. She waited outside with the rest of the crowd, bundled up in her coat as she watched the others bouncing around and giggling about how hot the band was. This was why she wished Santana had stayed because in comparison to the other girls there, Rachel Berry was a nobody. She wasn't tall and sexy and beautiful like them. She was a tiny little Jew girl from small town, Ohio with dreams to be on Broadway. These girls were models and on their way to being famous with their pretty faces and perfect bodies. When the back door opened, Rachel took a tiny step forward and then changed her mind. She had promised Santana she would follow through and she had promised herself she would as well, she could not chicken out now. She had to follow through.

**_xxx_**

"Hey!" Rachel spun on her heel to face the person who had just called out to her and stared at _Finn Hudson_, "You were just going to leave?"  
"Uh…I… umm…" Rachel hugged herself and just stared up at him, unable to process the fact that he had stepped away from the crowd to talk to her.  
"I know you… I mean, I don't know you, but I've seen you at almost every show we've done in the city and I was hoping to thank you for coming every single time."  
"What?"  
"Yeah," he smiled and Rachel felt her stomach do that flip flopping thing and she almost passed out right there, "The last show you wore a t-shirt that I'm pretty sure had Rainbow Brite on it."  
"Oh my god!" Rachel covered her face and laughed as she shook her head, "I can't believe you remember that."  
"Like I said, I've seen you at every show."  
"I'm a huge fan."  
"And you were going to leave without saying hello?"  
"There were just so many people, I didn't think I'd get through all of them."  
"And yet, here we are."  
"I'm Rachel, by the way."  
"Nice to meet you, Rachel. I'm Finn."  
"I know," Rachel mumbled, blushing as she dipped her head slightly.  
"What are you doing tonight? The guys and I were thinking of getting some beer and eating some New York pizza, you up for it?"  
"You're inviting _me_ to go out with you and the band?"  
"Yeah, I think that's what I said."  
"Why?"  
"I feel like there's more that I need to know about you than your name and the fact that you like Rainbow Brite."  
"Would you believe me if I told you that I jumped out of bed just so that I could see you guys that night?"  
"I can believe whatever you want me to believe."  
"Then that's what happened."  
"Good to know," Rachel smiled when Finn did and chewed on her lip as he caught him staring at her, "So, how about that beer and pizza?"  
"Sure, why not?"

**_xxx_**

Rachel still couldn't believe that she was sitting in a booth at a pizza joint with the guys of Static Lives. Two of them brought their girlfriends and the other two were happy being solo. As for Finn, he was stuck to her and she found herself curling into his side as he draped his arm over the back of her seat. Unlike the other boys she had met, these guys didn't make fun of her for being vegan and went out of their way to make sure that she got a vegan pizza all for herself - even though they kept digging in because they insisted that vegan cheese tasted better than regular cheese. By the time they had finished, they'd polished off 12 pizzas and 8 pitchers of beer. And yet, none of them were drunk, leaving Rachel totally shocked and in awe. She was a little wobbly on her feet and if it wasn't for Finn being a total gentleman, she might have passed out on the sidewalk and insisted that he leave her there for the night.

Finn insisted that he take her home and despite her protests, he managed to get her into a cab and weaseled the address out of her. "How are you still sober?"  
"If I say that we do this every night will you promise not to judge me?"  
"Maybe."  
"We do this almost every night."  
"You pick up random female fans at your shows and invite them for pizza and beer?"  
"We don't get New York pizza anywhere but New York."  
"So you do pick up random female fans then."  
"Only the ones that wear Rainbow Brite t-shirts to our shows."  
"I'm serious, Finn."  
"What do you think?"  
"I think that when you're in a band and there are girls falling all over you all the time, you can't help but flirt a little just to make them happy."  
"That would be true if we were that kind of band. And besides, my flirting skills are dead. You have witnessed it tonight."  
"It was pretty cute, actually."  
"That's the alcohol talking."  
"Maybe, but you were a gentleman and that counts for some amount of flirting in my books."  
"Oh yeah? I'll keep that in mind for the next time we're in town."  
"You plan on flirting with more random girls next time you're in town?"  
"I've got this one girl in mind, really."  
"Mhm…" Rachel shifted on the seat and turned so that she was looking at him, "Something tells me I should be jealous."  
"Possibly. She's pretty perfect."  
"Now you're just being mean."  
"You wanted to know."  
"I don't anymore," Rachel pouted and frowned and turned away to look out the window, wrapping her arms around herself as she leaned against the door of the cab.

When they pulled up outside her building, Rachel pushed open the door and literally stumbled out of the cab. She held onto the door for support and when Finn came around to help her, she waved him off, "You should probably get back to your hotel and all your pretty fans."  
"I'm okay with where I am right now."  
"Just go, Finn."  
"What did I do?"  
"You're telling me about some _other_ girl right now!"  
"Not some _other_ girl, I was talking about you."  
"What?" Rachel turned around to look at him, completely confused as she brushed her hair out of her face, "What are you talking about?"  
"How drunk are you?"  
"Extremely. I need to sit down," she wobbled to the stairs and sat down on the bottom one, stretching her legs out as she took a deep breath, "Please sit."  
"Never thought you'd ask."  
"Sorry about… " Rachel waved towards where the cab had been and looked at Finn, "That."  
"It's cool. We'll just blame the alcohol."  
"Good idea," Rachel laughed softly and shook her head before turning serious again, "Why are you here with me, right now?"  
"Because I want to be? I don't understand the question."  
"You saw the other girls at your show, why are you _here_ with _me_?"  
"Is there something wrong with you to make me not want to be here?"  
"Yeah, I'm not like those other girls."  
"Thank god, because those other girls are not exactly who I want to be spending my time with."  
"I'm confused."  
"I know I'm in a band and there's this cliche that we only hang out with _those_ kind of girls, but we're really just a bunch of guys from a small town who like playing music and watching it make people happy. You are the kind of person that I want to spend time with because you enjoy our music for our music."  
"And because of you," Rachel added in a whisper, blushing as she looked away.  
"Me?"  
"Oh please, don't pretend like you don't know the effect you have on girls."  
"I didn't know about it till just now."  
"Liar."  
"Honest to god, truth."  
"Liar."

They end up sitting there for a few hours till the sun starts to rise and the alcohol has worn off completely. She's leaning against Finn and their hands are linked as he finishes singing a song that he tells her is top secret. Rachel has never heard Finn sing solo, but she's glad that she got a special show because his voice is soothing and beautiful. She finds herself falling for him more than she did when he didn't even know anything about her. She tilts her head back to look at him as he smiles and feels her heart stop and skip a few beats, "Thank you for tonight."  
"Thank _you_ for tonight. I've been meaning to talk to you for a while now."  
"Ditto. I almost proved my best friend right tonight."  
"Glad I could help you prove her wrong."  
"I had fun. Probably the most fun I've had in a long time."  
"Again, glad to be of assistance."  
"I should go upstairs before Santana calls the national guard to come find me."  
"Yeah," Rachel forced herself away from him and smiled to herself as he stood up as well. She was standing two steps above him so she didn't feel as small right then. "Good night, Finn."  
"I'll be seeing you again real soon."  
"I hope so."  
"I'll call when we get back into town. Maybe we can go out just you and me next time?"  
"I'd like that. A lot."  
"Perfect."  
Rachel just stared at him for a few minutes and without letting herself think about it too much, she leaned in and kissed Finn. He tasted like beer and pizza, but she was sure that she did too. When he kissed her back, Rachel moved to the edge of the stair and put her free hand on his shoulder to steady herself. She pulled away quickly when her phone started ringing and blushed as she looked at Finn, "I should go."  
"Bye."  
"Bye, Finn."

Rachel runs up the stairs to the apartment she shares with Santana and once she's safely inside, she lets out a squeal and covers her face with both hands. She can't believe what just happened and it's not just the kiss, the whole night. She looks at the picture he took of them on her phone and she can't believe this is happening. Not only did she get to see her favorite - and only - band live, she got to spend the whole night with the boy that she's been pining over from a distance. And she's got photographs - that's right, more than the adorable one of them - to prove it. She's finally found her lucky number: 44.


End file.
